Requirements for Love
by Sagi-chan
Summary: When she was young, Sakura knew exactly what her husband was going to be. She later realized that two different boys fulfilled her requirements. [one shot] [one sided SakuSasu][one sided SakuNaru] [GaaraNaru]


**Disclaimer:** _Naruto, its characters and story lines, does not belong to me. I acknowledge this and lament in the fact that it is true._

**AN:** _Hey all, this is just something weird that popped into my head. It's simply a one-shot, meaning that it will not be dragged on further than it already as been. Seriously, three pages is too long for this sort of drabble fic. Anyway, enjoy this rare treat of fiction. (I'm still working on all of my other fics, to those who wish to know.)_

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Haruno Sakura had always dreamed that the man she would marry would be the only man she could ever want. She dreamed that he would be handsome and smart, resourceful and ready to do anything for her happiness.

Sakura had a dream man. He would have soft hair, and mystery lurking in his eyes. A secret that he kept from the world; but he would take pride in it none-the-less. The man she was to marry wouldn't take pride in his appearance to the point of being vain – but he would care enough to look good on a day to day basis. Her man would be strong and heroic. He would be able to cook and able to clean without complaining too much.

Nothing about Sakura's future husband would be suspiciously closed to the world. There would be nothing he would need to keep from his wife.

And then, upon entering the Ninja Academy, Haruno Sakura had met that future man. He was quiet, dark, top of the class, and adored not only by her, but the entire class.

Uchiha Sasuke was Haruno Sakura's future husband, she was certain of it.

It took very little time for Sakura to face the fact that it was going to take a long time before she managed to convince Sasuke that he would want her as a wife.

And to make matters worse, Sakura had also met Uzumaki Naruto. Whom, in her ignorance, she refused to see held the qualities in a husband she was treasuring more surely than Sasuke.

Upon graduating from the Academy, these two boys became part of her team, and she was reminded just how little Sasuke cared for her, and how much Naruto did. Wordlessly, day after day, Naruto loved her without saying a word; and Sasuke scorned her as cruelly as he did Naruto.

Yet Sakura still persisted in her devotion to Sasuke. She would still defend him to the death; she would still hurt after his wordless insults.

After several missions together – both botched and successful – the three became something close to friends, and Sakura was allowed more privileges than the other girls. She was allowed to speak her mind without thinking she would be scorned. She could take part in their brawls without thinking she would be made fun of for weakness. Through Sasuke's growing acceptance to her presence, and Naruto's encouraging love, Sakura grew strong and womanly.

Then came the day that the two boys had turned up, looking filthy and in desperate need of medical care. They had been brawling again, so Sakura did what she could for them, feeding them, sending them to bathe, and cutting their much too long hair afterwards.

That little action had crumpled her dreams. Sasuke's hair was dry and spiky, not soft and silky like she had always imagined. It was Naruto's sunshine blond hair that was what she had been dreaming of for so long.

It was then Sakura began to notice other things about the two that redefined her love for Sasuke and her tolerance to Naruto.

Sasuke did have a secret, but he didn't take pride in what he was. He didn't take pride in his beautiful porcelain skin or in what he had accomplished so far in his life. Sasuke's life was a speck of dirt, in his opinion. Something that could be rid of through the revenge that he lived to fulfill. Killing his brother: the only ambitious obsession that Sasuke had to his name.

But Naruto was different. His secret remained his alone, but he loved himself for what he was anyway. Naruto loved himself because nobody else had, and even when he was scorned by the village he grew up in, he never gave up on his life. His ambition was to grow stronger, to love everybody that needed it, and to take care of the people who couldn't take care of themselves.

Sasuke's life revolved around himself, while Naruto's was dedicated to others.

Sakura found the man she wanted to marry, not in the dark, brooding, fierce but none-the-less beautiful Sasuke, but in the sunshine-happy, prideful, determined and beautiful-in-a-different way Naruto.

Naruto, the boy who deserted her as Sasuke had. The boy who ran off to bring Sasuke back for her, but then disappeared in the same fashion.

Sakura was given no choice but to grow stronger on her own, without the help of her boys. She grew more womanly in their disappearances, grew stronger and smarter, the king of wife any ninja would love to have.

Naruto had come back to her first. He had grown up, become more beautiful and cared more for others than Sakura had thought possible. But he left soon after returning; running to the aid of a man he had only known for a few days. The blond ran for Sabaku no Gaara, feeling deep in his heart that the need was desperate, but also knowing that it was probably pointless.

After the battle, Naruto returned to the Sand Village, nursing the friend he was determined to save.

Sakura returned home, returned to her lessons and her life of nearly solitude.

And then Sasuke returned, having finally defeated his brother and looking for a wife in which to restart the Uchiha clan. His choice was Sakura, the girl once so willing to do anything for him. Sasuke believed himself in love with the girl; and the girl in love with him as well.

_It's over, Sasuke. I don't love you like I used to. There's somebody else now... he's everything that I could want._

His second choice was a child blessed with amazing skills, who was more than happy to share her genes.

Sakura, knowing that her requirements for love had shifted from the one she sought when she was young, left to find Naruto. She left to find the one who had stood in front of her for so long, waiting for her to love him.

But when Sakura found Naruto, she knew her love would never be returned like she wished it to be.

Naruto loved Gaara. Naruto loved the one most like him; most understanding to how he felt the entirety of his life.

When Sakura was young, she never dreamed that there would be two men who fulfilled her requirements for a perfect husband. And she never dreamed that she would fail to get them both.

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**AN:** _Please let me know what you think. Encouragement is much appreciated when my moral is as low as it is._

_Thnx  
__-**Sagi**._


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